HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 261 



containing 44 houses and 214 inhabitants, mostly employed in 

 agriculture. The soil is an excellent marly loam, with good mea- 

 dows on the banks of the Penk. Dr. Plot, always on the stretch 

 for wonders, mentions, that at Dunston, west of the chapel, an 

 echo gave a return of seven syllables. The Chapel is a small 

 building of brick, on the west side of the turnpike-road leading to 

 Stafford. It is dedicated to St. Leonard, and is a chapel of ease to 

 Penkridge, in the patronage of the Littleton family, of Teddesley. 



Coppenhall is another township about two miles to the north- 

 west of Dunston, but not so populous. The number of houses in 

 1811 was 16, and of inhabitants 92, almost all employed in agri- 

 culture. The soil is a good mixed loam. The Chapel, dedicated 

 to St. Lawrence, is a chapel of ease to Penkridge. It is also in 

 the patronage of the Littleton family. 



An enclosure, according to the Act of Parliament, commenced 

 in 1815, and will include all the waste lands in Penkridge, on 

 Penkridge-heath, Dunston-heath, Huntington common, and Ted- 

 desley-hay. The two last adjoin Cannock-heath, or are parts 

 of that waste, and include a very considerable extent of land. 



CANNOCK. 



This extensive parish, which includes the townships of Hun- 

 tington and Great Wyrley, is in the eastern part of the hundred, 

 and near the middle of the county. Different antiquaries have 

 given different etymologies of this place, some tracing the deri- 

 vation up to the Cangi, and others to Canute, the first Danish 

 king who reigned in England. The last syllable of the name is 

 conjectured to be derived from the Saxon ock, being the same as 

 oak, and denoting a wood or country full of oaks ; and it was un- 

 doubtedly a forest during the reign of the Mercian kings, and wa 

 their favourite chace. 



The town of Cannock is not mentioned in Domesday-book, though 

 in the time of king John there was a town here, with a church be- 

 longing to the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield. The manor and 

 tithes now belong to the Marquis of Anglesea. Cannock is situ- 

 ated-four miles east south-east of Penkridge, eight miles from Wal- 

 sall,and nine from Stafford, the turnpike-road to these towns passing 

 through it. The town stands on a gravelly soil, in consequence of 

 which water was frequently scarce in summer, so that it has been 



